RNR returns with discussion of some Hot Stove rumors as the Winter Meetings begin. Topics include the outfield situation, what the Reds will do to fill the leadoff hole, and how Aroldis Chapman will be handled this year. It’s the latest episode of Redleg Nation Radio!

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I like Choo even as a one year “rental” if the pay out to axquire him isn’t too high. However I don’t see him or Bruce in CF so they’d likely still be stuck with Stubbs. I don’t like Stubbs and Cozart back to back (or sandwiching Hanigan) any more at the bottom of the order than at top.

Ben Revere’s name has surfaced as a possible trade candidate, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Revere became the Twins’ projected center field starter with the trade of Denard Span to the Nationals, so Morosi believes Minnesota might need to get a center field back in order to move Revere.
Read more at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/#em9iFLqxDhqC7ysr.99

I haven’t looked at anything on Revere; but, could this be the Reds involved with Stubbs moving to the Twinkies?

I haven’t looked at anything on Revere; but, could this be the Reds involved with Stubbs moving to the Twinkies?

Before Denard Span was traded I was hoping the Reds could get Ben Revere (rather than Span) from the Twins. Revere is younger, gets paid less, strikes out less, and steals more bases than Span. And Stubbs. Who knows what to expect as far as OBP for Revere? He may be a big improvement at leadoff or (with a .319 OBP for his career so far) he could be another disaster who can’t get on base. It’s a gamble but I’d be okay with trading, say, Corcino and Stubbs for him.

I like Choo even as a one year “rental” if the pay out to axquire him isn’t too high. However I don’t see him or Bruce in CF so they’d likely still be stuck with Stubbs. I don’t like Stubbs and Cozart back to back (or sandwiching Hanigan) any more at the bottom of the order than at top.

I just don’t see how Choo, Ludwick, and Bruce fit in the same outfield.

As far as being a rental player, if the Reds acquire him this winter and make him a qualifying offer after 2013 (which Choo’s evil agent would likely decline) I believe the Reds get draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere.

I don’t mind Cozart and Stubbs hitting back to back in the bottom of the order. Who cares? They’ll probably hit more homeruns and steal more bases than most 7 and 8 hitters.

Why can’t Votto bat 4th?? I know the philosophy about putting your best hitter in the 3rd spot, but I think placing Votto 3rd in the batting order hinders the Reds lineup as it stands now. I think the Reds offense would be more prolific if it had a batting order of 1. the new leadoff hitter, 2. Cozart, 3. Phillips, 4. Votto, 5. Bruce, 6. Frazier, 7. Hanigan, 8. Stubbs, 9. P.
Now this won’t solve the back to back LH hitters Votto and Bruce, but that is OK. It puts the Reds 3 best hitters at 3-4-5 though. Therefore, pass on Ludwick and go get the prototypical leadoff hitter Walt. It will help Dusty-proof the top of the lineup and leaves him some room to tinker with the 6-7-8 hitters and bat them in any order he would wish.

@WVRedlegs: My only real problem with your proposed line up is thay it includes both Stubbs and Cozart. I don’t think the Reds offense can afford both of them if it is going to grow beyond what it was in 2012.

The problem is the same whether they are batting 2nd or 8th. They don’t take the walks or the relatively easy hits punched through to right (like Hanigan does)to move the line up along.

I know the the en vogue theory is that an out is an out; but I believe eventually we will evolve to understanding that there is such a thing as a weighted out. Not taking a walk in the 8th spot to get the pitchers spot cleared will be one of those weighted outs.

@OhioJim: I’m still pro tracking down Choo if they can. And I’m down on Ludwick if that means Choo is off the table. Oh well, maybe the asking price for Choo got sticky.

Jon Heyman tweeted this morning that Choo is ‘very available’ as the Indians search for ‘long term assets’, whatever that means.

@WVRedlegs: The guy who gets paid to make the lineup doesn’t like having lefties hitting back to back in the lineup (Votto, Bruce), especially as the only lefties in the whole lineup. I don’t think that’s changing.

I think getting Cozart out of the top of the lineup is just as much of a priority as it is with Drew Stubbs. Reorganizing the whole lineup by moving Votto down to keep Cozart near the top doesn’t make sense to me.

Get a good leadoff hitter to hit before Phillips and Votto and the best hitters will hit 1-2-3… and 5th. Or move Bruce up to 4th. Either option is fine with me. Either way, fewer ABs for Cozart, not more, should be the goal.

@WVRedlegs: My only real problem with your proposed line up is thay it includes both Stubbs and Cozart. I don’t think the Reds offense can afford both of them if it is going to grow beyond what it was in 2012.

The problem is the same whether they are batting 2nd or 8th. They don’t take the walks or the relatively easy hits punched through to right (like Hanigan does)to move the line up along.

I know the the en vogue theory is that an out is an out; but I believe eventually we will evolve to understanding that there is such a thing as a weighted out.Not taking a walkin the 8th spot to get the pitchers spot cleared will be one of those weighted outs.

Stubbs doesn’t take walks? I think you’re the victim of some anti-Stubbs propaganda (he doesn’t hit for high average so he must do ANYTHING else well either). His 42 walks were fourth most on the Reds after Votto, Bruce, and Hanigan, down from 63 and 55 in prior seasons. Walks are the reason why Stubbs’ career OBP is ~70 points higher than his batting average. If Stubbs hits 8th he’d also add many more intentional walks to his totals, like Ryan Hanigan has been able to do. If they add a quality contact hitter to hit leadoff I expect Stubbs could score a lot of runs as the #8 hitter.

Cozart, it’ll be interesting to see if he can increase his walk totals in 2013. I doubt it, he already surpassed Brandon Phillips in walks in 2012.

What I’d like to see WJ and the front office do is to rank the 3 or 4 best leadoff hitters in MLB that play the OF and target those 3 or 4 hitters in an all out blitz to acquire one of them. I am not sure who those 3 or 4 would be though. I would think that Det’s Jackson and ChiW’s De Aza would rank up there. As would free agent Bourn. Who are the best leadoff hitters in the game today??

What I’d like to see WJ and the front office do is to rank the 3 or 4 best leadoff hitters in MLB that play the OF and target those 3 or 4 hitters in an all out blitz to acquire one of them. I am not sure who those 3 or 4 would be though.I would think that Det’s Jackson and ChiW’s De Aza would rank up there. As would free agent Bourn.Who are the best leadoff hitters in the game today??

Span, Pagan, and Bourn are obviously not candidates for the Reds. Trout and Jeter will not be traded. I haven’t heard DeJesus, Jackson, Aoki, or De Aza mentioned as being avaiable. The best available candidates for the Reds, as far as being successful leadoff hitters in 2012, are clearly Choo and Gordon.

I was surprised by Crisp, his overall season numbers were worse – he did much better as a leadoff hitter in 2012 than he did elsewhere in the lineup.

Span, Pagan, and Bourn are obviously not candidates for the Reds. Trout and Jeter will not be traded. I haven’t heard DeJesus, Jackson, Aoki, or De Aza mentioned as being avaiable. The best available candidates for the Reds, as far as being successful leadoff hitters in 2012, are clearly Choo and Gordon.
I was surprised by Crisp, his overall season numbers were worse – he did much better as a leadoff hitter in 2012 than he did elsewhere in the lineup.

Good work. I agree, you can rule out those 5, Span, Pagan, Bourn, Trout and Jeter. Bourn still could be a wild card up WJ’s sleeve. Det would have to be overwhelmed with an offer to part with Jackson. I think ChiW would trade De Aza if they had the right match up with one of their big needs. There has been alot of talk on here lately about Choo and Gordon. Looks like people on here know what they are talking about. I didn’t realize Choo and Gordon were ranked so high in OBP. I think that I would target Gordon and go full bore after him. I give hime a few more pluses than Choo. KC can do without Gordon with Myers coming up. And the Reds have what KC really needs–Pitching. It would be a match that helps both teams.

Good work. I agree, you can rule out those 5, Span, Pagan, Bourn, Trout and Jeter.Bourn still could be a wild card up WJ’s sleeve.Det would have to be overwhelmed with an offer to part with Jackson. I think ChiW would trade De Aza if they had the right match up with one of their big needs.There has been alot of talk on here lately about Choo and Gordon.Looks like people on here know what they are talking about.I didn’t realize Choo and Gordon were ranked so high in OBP.I think that I would target Gordon and go full bore after him.I give hime a few more pluses than Choo. KC can do without Gordon with Myers coming up.And the Reds have what KC really needs–Pitching.It would be a match that helps both teams.

Thanks. Another important long term difference between Choo and Gordon is that Gordon is under contract for several more years. Choo is headed to free agency after 2013 for the biggest contract he can get. I don’t know if that makes him more or less appealing to the Reds.

I agree that the Reds and Royals would be a match. I think Ryan Ludwick handcuffs the Reds on that front both by filling an outfield spot and filling part of the payroll.

@redsfanman: Trade Hamilton and keep Stubbs one more year in CF? Sorry, but I don’t agree with either. We already sent half of the Bats roster to San Diego, Hamilton is the real deal and Stubbs is a real joke. Trade Stubbs of you can get anything at all for him. If Stubbs is here Dusty will play him and he will be awful (each year instead of improving, he gets worse).

@redsfanman: Trade Hamilton and keep Stubbs one more year in CF? Sorry, but I don’t agree with either. We already sent half of the Bats roster to San Diego, Hamilton is the real deal and Stubbs is a real joke. Trade Stubbs of you can get anything at all for him. If Stubbs is here Dusty will play him and he will be awful (each year instead of improving, he gets worse).

I never said to trade Hamilton AND keep Stubbs for one more year – I said to either keep Stubbs until Hamilton is ready or trade Hamilton for a major league ready CF and leadoff hitter, like Adam Eaton of Arizona, who can start on opening day and make Stubbs expendable.

Ludwick wasn’t the answer for clean-up last year, so why bring him back? The last thing this team needs are guys that can’t protect the dish with two strikes.

I thought Ludwick was the answer for clean-up last winter when he signed a cheap one year contract. Now I believe that the Reds’ needs have changed with Ludwick’s higher cost and Todd Frazier’s emergence as a hitter. Cleanup isn’t the last thing the Reds need to worry about but I definitely don’t think it’s the FIRST thing to worry about either.